1. CHARACTERISTICS OF LIVING THINGS

2. LIVING THINGS HAVE CELLS
Cell: a membrane-covered structure that contains all of the materials necessary for life.
Too small to be seen w/naked eye.
Multicellular---organisms made of many cells
Unicellular---organisms made of only one cell---different parts of cell perform different functions.

3. LIVING THINGS SENSE & RESPOND TO CHANGE
Stimulus: a change that affects the activity of an organism.
Response: How an organisms reacts to a change
Example: Eye is exposed to light (stimulus) and the pupils become smaller (response).
Homeostasis: Maintenance of a stable internal environment.
Outside environment may change; inside stays the same.

4. LIVING THINGS SENSE & RESPOND TO CHANGE (continued)
Responding to external changes…..
Body maintains an internal temperature.
Hot—body sweats!
Cold—muscles twitch to warm you! (aka, “shivering”)
Other animals have to control their body temp by moving from one environment to another.

5. LIVING THINGS REPRODUCE
Sexual reproduction:
2 parents
produce offspring that share characteristics of both parents.
Offspring do not look exactly like parents.
Most animals/plants reproduce this way.
Asexual reproduction:
single parent
produces offspring that are identical to the parent.
Most single-celled organisms reproduce this way. (Ex: hydra—forms buds that break off and grow into new individuals.)

6. LIVING THINGS HAVE DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
Controls structure & function of cells
Organisms reproduce—pass off copies of their DNA to their offspring
Heredity: passing of traits from one generation to the next.

7. LIVING THINGS USE ENERGY
Living organisms need energy to grow, develop, repair damage, and reproduce
Metabolism: total of all of the chemical activities that an organism performs.

8. Growth means to get bigger in size
All Living Things Grow
Growth means to get bigger in size

9. All Living Things Develop
All Living Things Develop
Development involves a change in the physical form or physiological make-up of an organism

10. All Living Things Adapt to Their
All Living Things Adapt to Their
Environment Through Evolution
Adaptation
A process that enables organisms to become better suited to their environment
Species obtain adaptations through evolution over great periods of time

11. An Example of Adaptation
Desert plants have succulent waxy leaves and stems to store water and reduce water loss